Join Early Retirement Today
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Has anyone developed a writing hobby/second career?
Old 11-30-2007, 06:38 AM   #1
Recycles dryer sheets
DougViages's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Belmont
Posts: 160
Has anyone developed a writing hobby/second career?

My DW and I are sliding into fire after more then 60 years (jointly) of work in our professions. We plan to drop to three day/week work averages in 2008, with a total FIRE 1 to 2 years later. We are both mid-50's. From both savings and an inheritance we plan a lovely FIRE, with a $50,000+ travel budget a few years out.

My real questions surrounds my desire to write book length projects. I believe that I have some talent, and life experience, to apply to my writing. I'm more concerned about how to successfully navigate publishing my book(s). Has anyone "walked this road"?

Here's a sample:

PROLOGUE: U.S. NAVY HUMANITARIAN AID CLINIC
FREETOWN, SIERRA LEONE, AFRICA

They found the first body a block from the clinic. Marine Gunnery Sergeant Marcus Smith pulled the palm fronds covering the body away while the other American bent down over the corpse. Navy Lt. John Johnson knew the man was dead before he bent down. The body’s arms had been hacked off, and the skull split like a melon. The man’s ears were gone, probably chopped off as a trophy of the kill. It was a sight ghastly enough to instantly sicken most people, but the lieutenant just straightened up and looked over at Gunny Smith. “I thought the civil war and RUF atrocities ended ten years ago”. Lt. Johnson was an MD, freshly out of residency, and an even more recently brevetted full lieutenant in the United States Navy.

“I’ve been hearing rumbles about these new wild boys since we arrived last month, sir. The top sergeant down at the embassy has been getting real concerned.” We are just about on our own out here, thought Smith. Sierra Leone is the most f’d place I’ve ever been, and that includes bum f’ing Baghdad. He thought back to his assignment to “baby sit” this bleeding heart clinic that the nut case politicians in Washington had set up down here. With twenty nine years in the Corps, this was the last assignment before his retirement. Smith’s thoughts were interrupted by the lieutenant’s hand on his arm. He looked up at the lieutenant. This guy is at least six foot four, and weighs 230. He’s the biggest doctor I’ve ever seen. Really big for a white guy. Smith then looked past his commanding officer, down the trash strewn street to a burning pile of clothes and old tires. “What is that?” Johnson asked.

As they walked towards the fire, Smith had a sinking feeling as he realized what they were looking at. The flaming pile of clothes and tires was another body, this one with the infamous African flaming tire necklace. Pant covered legs, with shoes still on the feet, stuck out from the burning tire. Smith stopped Johnson, and motioned him to walk back towards the clinic. Smith also drew his sidearm and clicked off the safety. Instead of the standard 9mm NATO sidearm, Smith carried the old Browning Model 1911 .45 caliber semi-automatic. He fondly remembered the words of his old Marine pistol instructor from so many years ago. “ It’s not the most accurate pistol in the world, boys, but it will put a man smack down.” Smith had held almost religiously to the .45, even has the Marines had adopted the newer NATO sidearm. In his hand it felt like an old friend.

Lt. Johnson looked over at the tall, tough black man next to him. I wouldn’t want come up against this guy. God, what’s he been in; Desert Storm, Iraqi Freedom, two, no, three Iraq tours. Then he thought, My dad is showing up tomorrow, with all those supplies for the clinic. I hope we can get him in and out of here without any trouble.

__________________
Work is the curse of the partying class!
DougViages is offline   Reply With Quote
Join the #1 Early Retirement and Financial Independence Forum Today - It's Totally Free!

Are you planning to be financially independent as early as possible so you can live life on your own terms? Discuss successful investing strategies, asset allocation models, tax strategies and other related topics in our online forum community. Our members range from young folks just starting their journey to financial independence, military retirees and even multimillionaires. No matter where you fit in you'll find that Early-Retirement.org is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!

You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with our members, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create a retirement blog, send private messages and so much, much more!

Old 11-30-2007, 10:37 AM   #2
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Willamette Valley, Oregon
Posts: 1,979
Welcome. No experience to offer on getting a book published. I have, however, from time to time engaged in some thinking and reading about writing and selling non-fiction articles.

But I have yet to actually write something, even after all my thinking and reading on the subject.

You, on the other hand, have written something. You are light years ahead of where I am. I'd say do some reading from Writer's Digest stable of books on the subject of getting published. There are plenty out there. Writer's Digest has a book club where you can get lots of helpful material reasonably priced. And I am sure your local library can help in this area as well.

In addition, there are writer's forums and newsletters, do some googling for them.
__________________
Dreams Worth Dreaming are Dreams Worth Planning For. I Spent a Career Planning for Early Retirement.
RetireeRobert is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-30-2007, 11:52 AM   #3
Full time employment: Posting here.
toofrugalformycat's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Anchorage
Posts: 731
After retiring I thought I had a book in me, and was interested in publishing it, not just writing it. I took a class from a local, successfully published writer who has gone on to publish more, nationally.

Her take-home lessons were: join or start a writer's group so you can get weekly or monthly feedback on your work, and motivation to continue. Also, attend clinics large enough to have agents attending. You can publish without an agent, or self-publish, but if you can get an agent you have a lot better chance to get on with a large publisher. A large publisher may get you more exposure, but will also take most of the profits (if any).

It's a very competitive field, writing. Everyone wants to write, fewer want to read. But if you're motivated you'll succeed at some level. If you don't try, it'll probably drive you crazy, or you're not meant to be a writer.

Her advice helped me get some smaller things published locally, getting my feet wet. It's been personally rewarding. The book is on the back burner but I feel empowered if I get the passion back. In the meantime I'm having too much fun for writing much.

Best wishes on your endeavor.
toofrugalformycat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-01-2007, 01:36 AM   #4
Full time employment: Posting here.
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 509
My wife is just finishing up her first book, and I recently started writing mine. We have no advice for you, but we are going to keep up with this thread for the good tips!

In watching her go through the process, it really is just about diligence...
Peaceful_Warrior is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-01-2007, 07:28 AM   #5
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Pasadena CA
Posts: 3,339
I have no idea about publishing, sales, successful marketing. All I know is I sometimes have this compulsion come over me to write and , well then I write. All that has ever ended up in print (or electrons) has been stories in local kayak club newsletters. Other things I write I have shared with friends & family. I will continue to write and if anything somehow comes out interesting I will see about publishing it.
__________________
T.S. Eliot:
Old men ought to be explorers
yakers is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-01-2007, 11:12 AM   #6
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
TromboneAl's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 12,880
I wrote the first chapter of a book six years ago, and haven't looked at it until just now. I like it. But I'm saving that more sedentary hobby until later. Should be fun.

I recommend the book The Complete Idiot's Guide to Getting Published; at one point I'd considered writing, together with DD, a cookbook for kids who had braces.
__________________
Al
TromboneAl is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-01-2007, 11:47 PM   #7
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Willamette Valley, Oregon
Posts: 1,979
I guess one bit of advice I would offer is be very leary of the vanity publishers---these are the folks where you pay them to publish your book--then you end up with piles of unsold books that cost you a small fortune. I am not saying avoid self-publishing, just be very eyes-wide-open. One can self-publish without necessarily dealing with the "vanity publishers".

Other than that, here are some links may be of interest to aspiring writers:

Writer's Digest Magazine - Writing books, competitions and other resources for writers
The Writer : The essential resource for writers
Publishers Weekly - International Book & Bookselling News, Reviews, Bestsellers
Book marketing and book promotion advice from John Kremer, author of 1001 Ways to Market Your Books (get free eletter with weekly marketing tips)
Welcome to Writing-World.com! (get another free eletter monthly)
FREELANCE WRITING . COM : Helping Freelance Writers to Succeed since 1997
__________________
Dreams Worth Dreaming are Dreams Worth Planning For. I Spent a Career Planning for Early Retirement.
RetireeRobert is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-02-2007, 02:33 AM   #8
Full time employment: Posting here.
jambo101's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Montreal
Posts: 940
Writing a book sounds too much like work,I'll stick with the "you write em and I'll read em" philosophy .
__________________
"Second star to the right and straight on till morning"
jambo101 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-02-2007, 04:33 AM   #9
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
haha's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Hooverville
Posts: 22,983
There are several people on this boad who have created succesful second careers as writers. There are likely more, but ESR Bob, Billy and Akaisha and SGEEEE pop into mind.

Ha
__________________
"As a general rule, the more dangerous or inappropriate a conversation, the more interesting it is."-Scott Adams
haha is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-02-2007, 07:42 AM   #10
Recycles dryer sheets
template's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 193
You can start out by writing articles and/or short stories and selling them to periodicals. I started while working in my "real" and unrelated career and continued a few years past retirement.
__________________
Retired in 2001 at age 49.
template is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Writing covered calls Delawaredave FIRE and Money 132 01-01-2007 01:49 PM
Turning your hobby into a career? Billy FIRE and Money 0 09-30-2006 03:16 PM
Financial Spreadsheet Developed PatM FIRE and Money 9 11-18-2005 11:38 AM
Uncovered Option Writing Beachbumz FIRE and Money 4 05-23-2005 11:08 PM
Once You Developed Your Plan...Did You Tommy_Dolitte Young Dreamers 7 09-14-2004 04:00 PM

» Quick Links

 
All times are GMT -6. The time now is 02:43 AM.
 
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.